Fire-control apparatus



Jan. 49 G. W. BEATTY FI RE CONTROL APPARATUS Filed July 1. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 3W George WEEattg 4 Sheets-:Sheet G. W. BEATTY Filed July 1, 1926 Jan. 4,1927.

FIRE CONTROL APPARATUS Jan. 4,19%. G w. BEATTY FIRE CONTROL APPARATUS 4 sheets-S 5.

Filed July 192a Jan. 4, 1927.

G. W- BEATTY FIRE CONTROL APPARATUS Filed July 1. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Qmmtou Geurgg wdEneatty Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

GEORGE W. IBEATTY, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-CONTROL APPARATUS.

Application filed July 1, 1926. Serial Ho. 119,960.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883; 22 STAT. II. 825.)

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or an of its oificers .or employees in prosecution-o work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon, in accordance with the Act of March 3, 1883.

The present invention relates to fire control' apparatus and more especially it has reference to means for entering a percentage correction into fuse ranges.

In determining the fuse range to be givena projectile certain corrections to allow for conditions of the atmosphere, the gun and the ammunition must be included. Where the target is stationary or moving at a slow speed a flat correction suffices for the purpose but in the case s of rapidly moving aerial targets the fuse range varies with each shot and within wide limits. When an approaching plane comes within range of the gun the fuse range is approximately three times greater than when the plane at the same altitude arrives overhead. Consequently, since planes remain in range only a short interval it-is desirable to produce a large volume of fire and obviously there is not time to introduce a different fiat correction into each fuse setting.

r The principal object of the present invention therefore is to provide means for introducing a percentage correction into the fuse range.

"With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in. the novel arrangement and combination of parts and .in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Fig, 1 is a view in sideelevation of an apparatus embodying the principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4; j

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 pf Fig. 2; 1

F ig. ,9 is a sectional view on the line 99 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the line 10- 10 of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference:

The invention as shown is embodied in a fuse setting machine of the type which is provided with two relatively rotatable adj usting members, a crank for independently rotating the member is coupled to the time ring of the fuse and a worm gear for rotating the other member which is coupled to a fixed part of the fuse. The adjustment of the fuse is effected by causing the time ring adjusting member to carry out two complete revolutions while the other member is either stationary or may be under continuous operation. Inasmuch as a fuse setting machine of this character is described in de-' tail in a copending application, Serial No.

98,286, and since it forms but one method of obtaining a member which is rotatable proportionate to the principal uncorrected fuse range it will be only briefly described.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3 the fuse setting 4 machine is mounted on a base 5 and comprises a housin 6 in which two adjustmg members 7 an table about the axis of the machine. The

member? is adapted to be coupled to the 8 are independently rotachine, the adjusting member ,7 is directly connected to a crank 11 for rotatin said member until its lever 7 picks'up the rig 9.

on the time ring and places it m' -a predetermined position while at the same time a rotational movement will be imparted to the round until the fixed lug 10 on the base of the fuse snaps into enga ement with the levers of the adjusting mem er 8. In order to insure that the round will be rotated sutiiciently for the fixed lug to pick up the levers on the member 8 it is necessary to move the crankthrough two complete revolutions.

A Worm 12 serves for imparting to the adjusting member 8 and the fixed lug 10 of the round an angular position relative to the predetermined position of the time ring 9 which corresponds to the uncorrected fuse range. The member 8 is inscribed with a range scale 13 readable against an index 14 whose normal angular position establishes the predetermined position to which the rotatable time ring 9. is moved. The index is on a movable ring 15 which is mounted on the member 8 and is retained against an end plate 16 by a cover plate 17. The index is thus movable from its normal os'ition and'as will presently appear is use 'to introduce corrections into the fuse range.

The adjusting member 8 (see Fig. 8) is formed centrally with a circular portion indicated by the line 18 so that when a fol-.

30- lower 19 is resting thereon it willfpartake of no vertical movement and this position of the follower corresponds to zero correction. On either side of the line 18 the periphery of the member 8 constitutes a cam surface which varies according to the angular lposition of the member 8 as. represented by t e range scale and whose origin indicated by the line 20 corresponds to zero on the range scale. The periphery of the member 8 along therline 20 coincident with zero range will thereafter be parallel to the axisof said member and no movement is imparted to the follower under these conditions irrespective of its position with respect to the line 18.

The portion'21 of the cam surface at the right 0 the line 18 elevates the follower and adds the correction to the members and the portion 22 at the'opposite side lowers the follower and deducts the correction.

The follower (see Figs. 3 and 4) is yieldingly mounted in a carriage 23 which is movable longitudinally of theapparatus by means of a screw shaft 24 to position the follower withrespect to the zero line18 an amount corresponding to'the desired per-, centage correction, plus or minus, which is readable on the correction scale 25. The

vertical movement of the follower is converted into rotary movement of ashaft 26 through the intermediation of a segmental gear 27 and the shaft is connected-by segment gear 28 to the movable ring 15 so that it displaces the index 14.

The direction of movement of the shaft 26 is dependent on the"engagement of the sented by the line 18 and also by its dis-- tance from the origin of the cam represented by zero range or the line 20. The cam thusautomatically applies the percent: age correction as read on the scale 25 to'any particular fuse range and the rotation of the shaft 26 which controls the displacement of the index 14 is proportional to the percentage correction.

The apparatus is also designed for a method of operation wherein it is -to be used in conjunction with asystem of synchronous transmission of data. According to this method a pointer 29 movable proportionate to the uncorrected fuse range is under-continuous control from the battery commanders station and a second pointer 30 controlled by the movement of the adjusting member 8 of the fuse setting machine is maintained in coincidence therewith. The movement of the shaft 26 which is proportionate to the percentage correction is therefore combined with the movement of centage corrections, a cam follower mounted in the carriage, a member controlled by the movement of the follower and rotatable proportionate to the percentage correction and a ring movable with the correction member and bearing an index against which the range scale is read. 7 w

2. A fuse setting machine embodying an adjusting member rotatable proportionate to uncorrected fuse range and provided with a range scale, the periphery of said member forming an increasing and decreasing cam surface varying according to the range scale, a carriage movable longitudinally of the member, amounts corresponding to percentage corrections, a cam follower moun ed in the carriage, a member controlled by the movementof the follower and rotatable proportionate to the percentage correction and a differential gearing for combining the movements'of the range and correction memhers.

the member amounts corresponding to per- 3. Fire control apparatus embodying a cam member rotatable proportionate to uncorrected fuse range, a cam follower movable longitudinally of said member in measurable amounts corresponding to percentage corrections, a second member actuated by the follower and rotatable proportionate to the percentage corrections, means for comparing the individual movements of the range and percentage correction members and means for combining their movements.

4. A fire control apparatus embodying a cam member rotatable proportionate to uncorrected fuse range, a cam follower movable measurable amounts corresponding to percentage corrections, 2. second member actuated by the follower and rotatable proportionate to the percentage corrections, means for comparing the individual movements of the range and percentage correction members and means for combining their movement.

5. Fire control apparatus embodying a cam member rotatable proportionate to uncorrected fuse range, a cam follower movable measurable amounts corresponding to percentagecorrections', a second member actuated by the follower and rotatable proportionate to the percentage corrections, and means for comparing the individual movements of the range and percentage correction members.

. 6. Fire control apparatus embodying a cam member rotatable proportionate to uncorrected fuse range, a cam follower movable measurable amounts corresponding to percentage corrections, a second memberactuated by the follower and rotatable protion member is controlled by the range member.

8. Fire control apparatus embodying a member rotatable proportionate to uncorrected fuse range, a second member controlled by the first member and positionable therewith to be rotated proportionate to the percent correction of a given range and means for representing the total corrected range.

9. Fire control apparatus embodying a member rotatable proportionate to uncorrected fuse range, a second member controlled by the first member and positionable therewith to be rotated proportionate to the present correction of a given ran e.

10. Fire control apparatus embodying a member movable proportionate to uncorrected fuse range, a second member movable pro ortionate to the percentage correction of t e range represented in the movement of the first member. and means for representing the total corrected range.

GEORGE W. BEATTY.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,612,851, granted January 4, 1927, upon the application of George W. Beatty, of Decatur, Illinois, for an improvement in Fire-Control Apparatus, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Pa

ge 3, line 65, claim 9, for the word present read percent; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of February, A D. 1927.

[sun] M. J. MOORE, Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

